


I'm Fine

by impish_nature



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Canon Divergence?, Gen, Pre-Weirdmaggedon, post-portal, warning: blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2016-09-05
Packaged: 2018-08-13 05:56:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7965091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impish_nature/pseuds/impish_nature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stan gets hurt protecting Ford but refuses help himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'm Fine

**Author's Note:**

> (Warning: Blood)  
> 6 out of 7 of the stream fics!  
> The prompts were 'what do you care?'   
> and 'i'm fine, I don't need a doctor, just stick a bandaid on it' '...i don't think a bandaid will suffice'

It all happened so fast.

One second he’d been running, heart pounding in his chest and his breaths growing shallower and shallower with every intake. He could feel the blood thudding through his skull, a thick steady beat that was starting to make his head hurt.

It was getting harder to breathe at all. His legs were giving under him, the burst of adrenaline was slowly leaving his bloodstream and the creature _was catching up_.

The next second something swiped at him, there was a small sharp pain as whatever it was clipped him. He hadn’t even been ready for it, his vision tunnelling and the world narrowing to a pinpoint. He cursed himself for not staying alert.

He could see the shack in the distance, his eyes had locked on to it.

_So close…_

He was so close to the edge of the forest. So close to freedom he could taste it.

And then suddenly he was tumbling, the world flying upside down. A knock to the back of the head left him spinning head over heels and falling down a small incline to rest at the bottom in a complete daze.

The wind was knocked out of him, he couldn’t seem to get himself up and moving.

The creature towered above him, sharp teeth snarling and claws outstretched, ready to bite and tear into his flesh.

Everything seemed to come to a standstill, even when he knew in a blink of an eye this could very well be his undoing.

He hadn’t meant to go out looking for trouble when he’d left the shack that morning but the last thought going through his head as he closed his eyes and waited for impact was that he really shouldn’t have gone out alone. He really shouldn’t have gone for a wander and not taken the time to check the signs around him that he was entering a predator’s domain.

What had happened to all that careful planning? What had happened to all the vigilance and control with which he had travelled through the multiverse?

Just because he was home didn’t mean this place was safe. It had never been safe.

After all, he had met _Bill_ here.

All these thoughts spun through him in the space of time it took to take a deep breathe in, in the time it took for the animal to rear back and lunge at him.

He awaited the snap of teeth, sure that after all that, after everything he had managed to live through, this was going to be the end of him.

And yet…the impact never came.

No abrupt sharp pinpoints of pain as teeth punctured the skin. No burning heat as claws dug into him, grazing, grating and leaving him even more immobile than he already was.

No…anything.

Ford opened one eye cautiously. He didn’t know what was going on. Didn’t know whether the creature liked to toy with its meals but he made sure to prepare himself, to be ready to scamper away if the creature was suddenly distracted or bored of him.

His blood ran cold, ice trickling through his system and down his spine. His heart skipped a painful beat, breath hitching in a way it really shouldn’t when he was already so out of breath.

One second he’d been running for his life.

The next he’d fallen.

And the one after that the creature’s teeth were piercing his brother’s shoulder, it’s claws digging into his arm tearing thick long lines in his suit sleeves. He could see the blood flowing through the torn fabric, lines of red bubbling up thick and fast before the claws repeated the motion, scrabbling for purchase.

Stan roared, loud and low, an echoing thunder that seemed to travel for miles through the trees. Ford wasn’t entirely sure if the yell was due to pain or rage but his fists flew with it regardless. It was like the rumble leaving him, every ounce of energy going with it, gave him the added drive to tear away from the creature, to give it a punch to the face, a jab to the eye.

The creature tried to sink its teeth in further to stop his painful assault, a growl vibrating that no doubt added to the excruciating pain he was sure his brother must be fighting through.

However, it only seemed to add to the flames, Stan’s hands pummelling into the creature all the harder. Ford was sure he heard something snap as a fist connected with the creature’s arm and suddenly the jaw unlocked, a spray of red coming away with it as a howl escaped the creature. It turned and fled back into the forest from whence it came, whining all the while, its arm dangling limply by its side.

Stan panted heavily, a thick silence thrumming above them as Ford stared in shocked awe at the man stood tall before him. He still couldn’t even move, stuck in the moment as one hand held him propped up, his brother’s back the only thing he could focus on as the silence stretched on and on.

The atmosphere grew and grew, a brewing storm waiting to happen as the air got thicker and darker around them.

And then it suddenly broke.

“You alright there, Poindexter?”

Stan spoke, popping the bubble around them. Ford felt the air leave him in a gush, not even knowing he’d been holding it in.

And the words were so ridiculous it took a second for them to sink in through Ford’s skull.

“Am I alright?!” The ice released Ford from its hold, his body melting and though jittery and wobbly, he could finally move. He stumbled to his feet, arms waving awkwardly as Stan stayed looking into the forest, still waiting, vigilant for the creature to come back. “Am I alright?”

“That’s what I asked you.”

“That’s- I’m fine. Of course I’m fine, I mean- you- Stan I should be asking _you_ that question.”

“Yeah, well I asked first.”

Ford sighed, irritation bubbling up, warm and thick to melt what remained of the ice. It wasn’t completely successful however, the horrible lurching image of his brother being torn into, that yell that still thundered around his skull adding a cold glaze to his thawing mind again.

Whatever con Stan was trying to pull, he wasn’t buying it.

“I’m _fine_ , Stan. You made sure of that. Now for the love of- just- _Stan_ , are _you_ OK?” Ford’s hands outstretched, taking a step closer to his brother to try and assess the damage better.

Only Stan heard the movement.

And took a step forward as well.

“Never-” A grunt of pain took over his words as he tried to roll his shoulders nonchalantly with little success. “Never better.”

“Stan, will you just let me take a look?”

“Nah, why would you wanna do that? It’ll be fine, just need a rest is all.”

Ford’s frown deepened as Stan refused to look at him. He was growing paler by the second. Why was he being stubborn? Why did it seem like he was _trying_ to annoy him? To get him to storm off and leave him here in the woods, bleeding everywhere? What would that achieve? How would this benefit him? “What do you mean why? I caused this, of course I want to help!”

“Would you want to help if you hadn’t caused it?”

The words came out in a whisper, as if Stan hadn’t actually wanted him to hear them, his thoughts slipping out passed his lips in grim rebellion.

But he had heard them, the wind carrying the words to hiss insidiously into his ears and let him hear what was behind the bitter defeated warble.

_If I had gotten myself hurt would you even care? It’s just a sense of duty that’s all. You don’t actually want to help_ **me** _._

“Stan…”

“In fact, the whole reason you’re angry with me still is because of something you started, not me.” Stan spun to him, eyes misty and mouth trembling and Ford could tell now, could see that Stan just wanted him to leave him to his misery, wanted him to turn his back on him and give up on him.

Just like he’d done before.

Just like he expected him to do again and again.

He didn’t want to get his hopes up that Ford actually cared.

But the charade was failing, the mask breaking and leaving the vulnerable man beneath it that for some reason Ford hadn’t seen until this point.

The broken young man who had been heartbroken to be called and told to leave again.

The old man that had wasted 30 years trying to rectify a mistake that had blown up in his face.

The man standing before him, hand slowly staining red as he put pressure on the wound to his shoulder and swayed on his feet, too stubborn to let him help and too worried he’d done something wrong again. Helped when he should have let it be. Stood back when he should have helped.

Never in the right place at the right time.

Mistake after mistake.

_Why would you care?_

“Let’s…let’s not get into that now.” Ford gulped, quelling the rising tide of anger that tried to bubble out of his mouth in response. He took a deep breath. He wouldn’t rise to the bait, he wouldn’t do as Stan wanted and just leave him here.

He _did_ care.

Just because he was angry at him didn’t mean he didn’t _care_.

“That’s not the point right now. You are hurt, Stan. Let me help.” Ford took another step towards him. Stan tried to take another back, eyes defiant. But his legs were shaking too much as he did so and made him stumble back further, hitting a tree with a clatter and a soft whimper. Ford froze, hands up in front of him and face distraught as his brother looked at him with such a confused and lost gaze.

“Why? Why won’t you just go back to the kids? I can look after myself.”

“Oh yeah, that’s very obvious right now.” Ford’s voice dripped with venomously sarcasm as he crouched down to look Stan in the eye. “So very obvious you can look after yourself.”

“H-Hey. Who was the one about to get mauled to death by whatever that thing was before I came to the rescue?” Stan panted, gritting his teeth at the pain as he tried to shuffle his suit coat off. With shaking hands he scrunched it into a ball, pressing it into his shoulder with a hiss as he sat himself down at the base of the tree he’d found himself leaning against.

“True. That would be me. And-” The words caught in his throat as he shook his head, the smell of blood prevailing and the ever increasing itch to help fizzling through him, his hands still twitching in front of him. “ _Thank you Stan_ , I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t been here. But please, _please_ let me do the same and help you now.” Stan continued to stare at him so he took a slow step forward. Relief pulsed thick and warm through him when Stan made no move in retaliation, just gave in a bit and let him at least get closer. “You shouldn’t have gotten hurt just because of me. What were you thinking?”

“Ehh, better me than you. You matter a lot mor-”

“Stanley!” Ford snapped, fists clenching when Stan winced at his shout. “I _don’t_ want you hurt. I don’t want you getting hurt just because of- you’re my brother, Stan! Of course I don’t want you getting hurt! I don’t matter more than you!” Ford growled when Stan shrugged at him, cringing at the obvious discomfort the movement caused but not regretting the sentiment. “Oh for crying out loud! Give me that.” He pushed Stan’s hands out of the way, putting far more pressure on the wound even though Stan cried out at the sudden manhandling. “Sorry, sorry! But why won’t you listen to me? Why won’t you accept anything I say?”

“Never- never was any good at listening.”

Ford stared at him, wondering if his pure concern and worry showed on his face. He assumed it did when Stan grimaced and looked away from him, eyes unable to meet his.

“Just didn’t think you did anymore. Care what happened to me, that is.”

Ford huffed out an ironic laugh. “If I recall correctly, it was _you_ who said we weren’t family anymore.”

“Only in response to you telling me you wanted me out of your life.”

“I never-”

“Not in so many words, no. But you didn’t have to.”

Ford’s mouth slammed shut. He was fully aware of what he had said and how it might be misconstrued, but he still held to them. He wanted his name back, and his life.

That wasn’t that much to ask was it?

He guessed, though the things were all reasonable, he hadn’t actually checked what Stan would do without all those things.

He had after all, faked his own death, so his name was out of action.

…and he probably didn’t have anywhere else to go.

Ford sighed. Now was not the time to think of those things. “Stan. I’m not going to lie. I’m still angry.” Stan locked up beneath him, face warring between defeat and pain as he went to push Ford away. Ford batted the feeble attempts easily, pushing his hands back down with one as the other kept up the steady pressure. “But again, that doesn’t mean I want to keep fighting with you especially when you’re hurt. I’m not going to kick you while you’re down. You just saved my life, I’d be a poor excuse for a brother- no a person, if I still carried on arguing with you.” Stan went to open his mouth, a snarl of an answer ready and raring to go, but he beat him to it, watching Stan close his again with an audible snap. “And even if you had gotten hurt out here without me. If it was just you being a knucklehead that got himself into something he couldn’t get out of. I’d still want to help you, help you get out of the mess. I’d scold you and tell you off, yes- because I care, that’s why I get angry.”

“Alright.”

“And another thing- wait, what?”

“I said alright, Sixer, I’m listening. I get it.” Stan smiled shakily back at him, hands flopping to his sides as he rested his head back. “Can we just, stop with the sappy stuff and get home now? I still won that fight, you know! I need to go tell the kids how brave I was!”

Ford snorted, a hysterical bubble of energy that escaped him at Stan’s thought patterns and how quickly they changed. “We’ll have to get you patched up before you regale them with the tale. You’d give them a fright turning up like this.”

“Pssh, this? This is nothing. You should see the other guy- oh wait you did, running away from me with its tail between its legs. Just…stick a Band-Aid on it or something. S’not like I need a doctor or anything.”

“…Stan, are you even seeing how much blood you have lost? Let me tell you now, I don’t think a Band-Aid will suffice.”

“Ah. Oh…well…whatever. Fair comment I’m sure. Let’s just get home and deal with it, yeah?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Ford slipped a hand under Stan’s arms, hissing apologies all the while at the carefully gritted teeth and whistling breaths as he helped him shakily to his feet and took most of his weight.

He kept the chatter up, whispered encouragements and half heard apologies as Stan whimpered beside him.

It took him far too long to realise it wasn’t whimpering as they slowly walked back towards the shack.

“Stan…are you laughing?” Ford couldn’t help the appalled note to his voice. After all that, Stan was laughing. A flush of fear made him wonder if shock was setting it, whether they needed to hurry up.

“You said _thank you_.”

Ford blinked, staring down at his brother’s grinning face. He knew that he had pressing matters. Knew that the dazed expression and slightly slurred voice were warning signs that he needed to heed.

But he also knew that panicking Stan in this situation would be just as detrimental.

He shook his head at his brother’s words, not able to stop the corresponding chuckle that left him in response to Stan’s bright cheeky grin, even as he sped up steadily so that Stan didn’t notice. Smiling down at him reassuringly all the while.

“I guess I did, didn’t I?”

**Author's Note:**

> I was getting very tired by this point...the fics got angstier XD


End file.
